by Marna Dagumboy Del Rosario/Philippine News Agency
CITY OF SAN FERNANDO, Pampanga — The Metro Pacific Tollways Corporation (MPTC) bared on Thursday a number of capacity expansion projects including construction of additional lanes, bridges and toll plazas, meant to improve travel convenience in its expressways.
The MPTC is the holding company of North Luzon Expressway (NLEX), Subic–Clark–Tarlac Expressway (SCTEx), and Manila–Cavite Expressway (CAVITEx).
NLEX Corp. vice president For Project Management Nemesio Castillo, during the press conference for the re-implementation of “Safe Trip Mo, Sagot Ko” Motorist Assistance Program, said the expansion projects include the putting up of additional lanes, bridges and toll plazas to ease the travel of the motorists.
“Ang NLEX ay hindi tumitigil sa paghahangad na mabigyan ang mga naglalakbay sa ating mga expressway ng matiwasay at safe na paglalakbay (The NLEX does not stop in its desire to give the travelers in our expressways a secure and safe travel),” he said.
In his presentation, Castillo bared the ongoing projects that include the NLEX Harbor Link Segment 10 C3-R10 Section which is well underway to further connect NLEX to the port area.
“Sa ngayon, it is 83 percent complete at minamadali na namin yan at most likely by the end of this year ay matatapos na ito (As of now, it is 83 percent complete and we are hastening its completion and most likely, by the end of this year, it will be finished,” he said.
Castillo said the C3-R10 section is seen to boost transport logistics as cargo trucks will have direct access from the port area to the provinces in the North and vice versa via the NLEX.
Another ongoing project, Castillo said, is the Subic Freeport New Expressway Lanes which started construction last January.
“What we are doing is the conversion of the 8.2-kilometer Subic Freeport Expressway into 2×2 divided expressway.
Once completed, there will be separate lane between the big and small vehicles,” he said.
Likewise, he said that there are continuous enhancement projects along the NLEX.
These include the toll plaza expansion at the San Fernando southbound entry and exit, Mexico northbound exit and Angeles toll plaza.
“We these enhancement projects, we expect the volume of traffic in that areas will be lessened. We will finish that December this year,” he said.
To address the increasing traffic volume at SCTEX, the NLEX official said that more toll lanes will be built in Clark South A and South B exits; Clark North entry and exit; San Miguel northbound entry and exit; and Tarlac entry and exit.
Also, Castillo said the construction of Bamban Interchange, which will link the expressway to New Clark City, is also ongoing, in time for the country’s hosting of the Southeast Asian Games late this year.
